should neuer see were not this iust with the Lord so to deale with vs that like to the sonnes in law of Lot haue thought them that haue preached Gen. 19. 14. iudgement to come thereby to moue vs to repentance to haue but mocked Verily it were most iust But let vs at the last make this right vse of the mercies of God for this life that Samuel commended to the Israelites saying 1. Sam. 12. 24. Feare ye the Lord and serue him c. and consider how great things the Lord hath done for you If we still go on in our sinnes and securitie and do wickedly not presenting our selues such a sacrifice vnto God as here the Apostle exhorteth vs vnto let vs beware of that which he threatneth vers 25. in the next verse As this argument from these outward mercies towards vs here in this Land is generally to be applied vnto all because all haue a share in them so let euery man particularly consider that the greater measure of these outward mercies the Lord hath bestowed vpon him the more he endeuours to present himselfe such a sacrifice to God as here we are called vpon to present For if to whom Luk. 12. 48. men haue committed much of him they will aske the more wil not the Lord do the like But doth euery man make this particular vse of Gods mercies for this life particularly receiued from the Lord Alas no but cleane contrary he withdraweth himselfe the more from God and the greater that any man for the most part is in outward blessings the more he hardneth his heart and face against God and the more he thinketh he may sin both against God and also against men Therefore if there be any goodnes in any great men though it be neuer so poore and little we vse to say Little is much in such a man Whereas indeed we should rather say It is nothing in such a man as for whom the Lord hath done so much For doubtlesse for the least of Gods blessings for this life a man is more in his debt and the more he dayly receiueth of that kind into the greater arrerages he runneth with him euen such as he shall neuer be able to discharge so that he may well say What shall I render vnto the Lord for all his benefits towards Psal 116. 12. me And if we make this vse of such blessings for this life then shall they also be mercies of the life to come but if we do not then shall they be iudgements of this life and of the life to come And when we haue deliberated neuer so long what to render vnto the Lord for these or for other sorts of his mercies we must not dreame of making God any recompence for how can a man be profitable Iob 22. 2. vnto God but we must altogether thinke of receiuing more and euery one say with the Prophet in the former place I will take the cup of saluation and call vpon Psal 116. 13. the Name of the Lord. VVe must still prepare our selues to beg more at least heauenly and spirituall blessings and to magnifie his Name for those that already we haue receiued and not to boast or prate of any merits by any thing we haue done but acknowledge that whatsoeuer we haue done yet we are but vnprofitable seruants Luk. 17. 10. By the premises hitherto spoken we see that they do abuse the mercies of God that are made the more secure by them and that take libertie to commit sinne vpon sin either from the mercies already receiued or from the certaintie of Gods mercies to come For his said future mercies are not promised to any but to such as feare him and Psal 103. 11. 13. 17. 18. keep his couenant and remember his commandements to do them Yea certainly they that rightly consider of Gods mercies but towards other be they neuer so meane will thereby prouoke themselues though liuing and wallowing in their sinnes to confesse and forsake them and to returne Pro. 28. 13. Ier. 4. 6. vnto the Lord in hope they shall find mercie Did not the prodigall sonne so do by remembring the plentie of Luk. 15. 17. 18. the poorest seruant in his fathers house Oh that all prodigall and lasciuious sonnes would do the like such as are swaggerers drunkards or great drinkers though not vnto drunkennesse riotous waste-goods stubburne rebellious Isai 5. 11. Luk. 18. 2. neither fearing God nor reuerencing men no not their fathers that begat them nor their mothers that bare them with great paines and gaue them suck with many a pinch and in their age haue more sorow of heart by them then euer they had ioy before Oh that all other vngodly persons would do the like If they be very gracelesse children as there are too many that will not submit themselues to their parents and performe dutie vnto them from consideration of such before mentioned fatherly and motherly kindnesses how gracelesse are they to God how wicked how rebellious that from these his mercies will not be prouoked to yeeld their bodies a sacrifice vnto him They therefore are enemies to all pietie and to these mercies of God and to all grace of God that from the same do argue for all libertie and impietie saying being admonished of their sinne and exhorted to reformation What God is mercifull he is not so hard as you make him Moreouer if Gods mercies be so great and certain vnto men most vnworthy of them how should this prouoke one man to shew mercie to another in imitation of this mercie of God according to that of our Sauiour Be ye Luk. 6. 36. Math. 5. 7. Iam. 2. 13. mercifull as your Father also is mercifull And hath he not said Blessed are the mercifull for they shall receiue mercie Hath not the Apostle also said There shall be iudgement mercilesse to him that sheweth no mercie but mercie reioyceth against iudgement God hath no need of vs but we haue need one of another We cannot be profitable to God but Iob 22. 2. we may be beneficial one to another yea the poorest that is to the greatest as diuers other wayes so especially by praying for him as the Prophet of Iuda was vnto Ieroboam 1. King 13. 6. by his prayer curing his withered hand Yea we may deserue kindnesse one of another but as in part hath bin shewed before we cannot recompence God for that we haue had of him much lesse can we merit any new blessings Besides all the premises if Gods mercies be so great as we haue heard how highly are we to esteeme of the word of God the cabinet or casket wherein all the said mercies of God are contained and whereby likewise the Lord conueyeth them all vnto vs and the which it selfe is one of the principallest mercies Yea further how highly are all Gods Ministers to be regarded that faithfully bring those mercies vnto vs euen so
THE CHRISTIANS SACRIFICE Much better then all the Legall Sacrifices of the Iewes and without the which all the said Legall Sacrifices of the Iewes euen when they were in force were not acceptable to God OR A Logicall and Theologicall exposition of the two first verses of the twelfth to the ROMANES with all the doctrine in the said two verses plainly laid forth and fitly applied according as these times do require the same Wherein also besides the orthodoxall exposition of the said words diuers other places of Scripture by the way occurring before somewhat obscure are so naturally interpreted as that the iudicious Reader shall thinke his paines well bestowed in vouchsafing to reade this Treatise following With the Authors Postscript to his children as it were his last Will and Testament vnto them LONDON Printed by WILLIAM IONES 1622. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE AND MOST TRVLY RELIGIOVS ROBERT EARLE OF WARWICKE and Baron of Leez AND TO HIS MOST HOPEFVLL YONG SONNE AND heire ROBERT Lord Rich. All increase of true pietie and honour in this life and euerlasting glory and happines in the life to come Most Noble Earle and Right Honorable Lord. IF Dauid so well accâ—pted of the kindnes of Barzillai the Gilaadit though his subiect performed 1. Sam. 17. 27. vnto him in his distresse by the treason of his sonne Absalon that being deliuered and restored to his kingdome he did not onely offer Princely entertainment to the said Barazillai himselfe but vpon his refusall thereof did also most graciously accept of his sonne Chinham to be in his Court yea 2. Sam. 19. 33. 36. if he were also so mindfull of the said loyall kindnes of Barzillai that vpon his death bed he gaue charge to his sonne Salomon to shew kindnes to the sonnes of the said Barzillai and to let them be of those that should 1 Kin. 2. 7. cate meate at his table because they had come to him when he fled from his sonne Absolom yea if mercilesse and 1. Sam. 39. 44. 20. 33. vnnaturall Saul that would haue killed his owne sonne Ionathan spared the Kenites for the kindnes of Iethro their father 400 yeares before shewed to the 1. Sam 15. 6. Exod. 18. 17. Israelites in giuing good counsell to Moses for the better gouerment of the Israelites and in directing of them in their iourneys in the wildernes if I say Num. 10. 31. Dauid so respected the kindnes of one of his subiects that ought in duty and alleageance to haue performed much more vnto him and if that mercilesse Saul shewed kindnes to the Kenites for the kindnes of Iethro so long before shewed to the Israelites much more may I poore man and forlorne creature acknowledge my selfe bound to performe all duety and seruice vnto your Honors for the Honorable fauours of the Noble Earle of Warwicke now deceased vnto me a meere stranger vnto him and altogether vnknowue but onely by the commendatorie testimonie of that graue and religious gentleman Mr. Iohn Butler of Toby Esquier now also at rest with the Lord. Hauing therefore nothing else whereby to expresse my duety to your Honours I am bold to present such as I haue the rather because as I dedicated the first fruits of my like labour to my old most Honorable Lord before mentioned about some 24. yeares past euen before I was throughly knowne vnto him and that because of his most ChristiaÌ„ care for the churches of God in Essex wherof he was Patron so I thought I might the more presume of your Honorable acceptance of these my paines the rather because in respect of my manifold infirmities by age they may be my last The more also that God himselfe hath now honored your Noble house and made it renowned in the Church both by the profession of the Gospell and also by the protection of the professors thereof euen now to the third generation of your name the more my selfe and all other that loue the Gospell haue cause to honor you euen as the more any king aduanceth any subiect the more all other subiects ought to respect such a subiect for his kings sake yea we haue the more cause to pray also for your honors so to continue still your honoring of the Lord and of the Gospell most worthy of honor as you haue begun that your selues and your posteritie may yet be the more honored yea and this as a Minister of the Gospell I exhort you in the name of the Lord Iesus that shewed me mercie in making me a Minister that you continue so much the more so to do by how much the more enemies the Gospell dayly hath both of A theists and of carnall professors thereof and also and especially of papists not onely in other countries but euen in our owne and those euen of your owne rancke I meane of the nobilitie it selfe besides them of the gentry and other inferiours at the commaund of such superiours Herein if ye shall ouercome as I doubt not but that ye shall oh how great shall your honor then be One of you two now do sometime weare a coronet with other the like princes and do sit in Parliament with one of the Lords Cheife Kings and Iudges of the earth But the time shall come when the Lord Iesus the King of Kings and Lord of Lords Psal 2. 10. Reu. 17. 14. and 19. 10. Mark 8. 38. comming in the glorie of his Father with his holy Angels and sitting in iudgement vpon men and Angels shall crowne you both with crownes better then of the finest gold euen of righteousnes life and glorie which 2. Tim. 4. 8. Iam. 1. 12. 1. Pet 5. 4. Reu. 3. 4. 21. shall not fade and shall also giue you both to walke with himself in white yea to sit likwise with him in his throne as himselfe hath already ouercome sitteth with his Father in his throne Are you not affected with these things I doubt not but you are be ye so alwaies to the end Yea as Paul hauing highly commended the 1. Thes 4. 9. 10. Thessalonians for such brotheâ—ly loue that he needed not to write vnto them thereof because they were taught inwardly of God to loue one another and so indeed did yet for all that exhorted them more and more Heb. 6. 10. 11. to abound in so doing and as the Apostle to the Hebrewes hauing said that God was not vnrighteous that he should forget the worke and labour of their loue which they had shewed to his name in hauing ministered to the Saints and yet ministring doth for all that desire euery one of them to shew the same deligence to the full assurance of hope to the end so do I Right Honorable exhort you to do the like for the aduancing of the Gospell and the countenancing and comforting of the professors especially the sincere and painefull Ministers thereof euen to the end that your present comfort from consideration hope of the
greatnesse of them as also our long continuance in them and let vs measure our said sorrow by the mercies of God towards vs by our knowledge by our callings by the offences we haue giuen to other by our said sinnes especially by our causing the name of God and his doctrine to be blasphemed and euill spoken of Yea in these and other the like respects let vs mourne Psal 37. 4. and 107. 37. c Ierem. 30. 15. more for our sinnes then for any outward losses indignities wrongs iniuries sicknesses or other afflictions of this life whatsoeuer because all such things come for sinne Of this sorrow for sin the Prophet saith The sacrifices of God Psal 51. 17. are a broken spirt a broken and contrite heart O God thouwilt not despise Notwithstanding in this sorrow for our sinnes we must always haue an eye to the mercies of God before mentioned lest we be swallowed vp of sorrow and fall into despaire Therefore the Apostle bâ—ddeth vs to Rom. 11. 22. behold the goodnesse and the seueritiâ— of God not the goodnes of God alone nor his seueritie alone but both together the one with the other the goodnes of God that we do not despaire the seueritie of God that we do not presume As hitherto I haue generally spoken of the actuall sacrificing The sacrifice of righteousnes and prayse Psal 4. 5. of our selues soules and bodies and as we are in this sacrificing of our selues to remember the generall sacrifice of all righteousnesse that is of all obedience to the first and second Table so let vs not forget to offer the sacrifice of praise vnto God which is called the calues of our Psal 50. 14. Hos 14. 2. â— lips The more the mercies of God haue abounded towards this land aboue all other lands in his word in our peace in our wealth c. the more must we abound in the calues of our lips in that behalfe yea so much the more must we abound therein because thereby we shall please the Lord better then they did in the Law that offered Psal 69. 31. 1. Cor. 13. 13. oxen and bullocks that had hoxnes and hoofes yea as the Apostle preferreth loue aboue faith and hope in respect of the continuance thereof when faith and hope shall haue Praises more excellent then prayers an end so in the same respect this sacrifice of praise and thanksgiuing may be preferred before prayers themselues because when prayers shall cease as whereof there shall be no need euen then shall thanksgiuings and prayses remaine and continue As the glorious Angels of heauen Luc. 2. 13. Reuel 5. 11. are already employed in this dutie and are alwayes readie to performe the same vpon euery occasion so shall all the elect being glorified glorifie God without ceasing for their said glorification The more difficult also any duâ—ie is and the more hardly performed the more excellent without question the same is to be acknowledged But the difficultie and hard performance of this dutie aboue prayers appeareth by the ten Leapers all ioyntly crauing Luk. 17. 12. c. helpe of our Sauiour and being healed one onely returning to giue thanks Yea this greater difficulty of thanksgiuing aboue prayers is manifest by all experience For who being vnder any affliction is not ready to craue release but release being granted who almost is as ready to giue thankes The more that God hath dignified any of his children with his mercies of this life or of the life to come the more such ought to abound in these sacrifices of praise and of the calues of their lips for the same With those notwithstanding in the second ranke of The sacrifice of prayers Col. 4. 2. 1. Tim 2. 1. 1. Thes 5. 17. 18 these particular sacrifices whiles we liue in this world let vs ioyne the sacrifice of prayers and supplications and intercessions as the Apostle ioyneth them together And although the Apostle to Timothie vseth more words touching this sacrifice then touching the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiuing yet that is not for the excellencie of prayers aboue praises or thanks but because whiles we liue here our wants are greater then the mercies we haue already and future mercies are more and greater then all that we haue receiued These prayers are by the Prophet called incense and the lifting vp of our hands an adiunct of Psal 141. 2. them and put for them is compared to the euening sacrifice As we are to praise God for his mercies receiued so we are to pray both for the increase of them and also that we may still enioy such as we haue and that God will alwayes so shut the gates of our kingdome and make the Psal 147. 13. barres thereof strong and so bolt them as Amnon commanded 2. Sam. 13. 17. his seruant against Antichrist and all his champions Iesuits Priests and other greater then they that hauing bin long from hence banished and abandoned they may neuer returne and be entertained by vs againe lest by their returne we become worse then before as our Sauiour speaketh of him out of whom the vncleane spirit being cast and returning againe and finding the place Mat. 12. 43. c. from whence he was cast swept and garnished he taketh seuen other spirits more wicked then himselfe and entreth again and so maketh the last state of that man worse then the first We haue the more cause to feare this because all the Iesuites and their consorts are euen of the same disposition that such vncleane spirits are yea euen possessed with 1. King 22. 22. them as the prophets of Ahab were possessed with that lying spirit whereby they deceiued Ahab to his ruine and ouerthrow With those our prayers oh that we would also ioyne Fasts holy fasts as the which haue bin often commanded and highly commended in the Scriptures by the admirable successe of them and which be reckoned also among the Leuit. 23. 27. feasts of the Lord and finally the which rightly performed haue alwayes ended with ioy and feasting Is not this 2. Chron. 20. Ezra 8. Nehem. 1. Ester 4. euident by the fasts of Iehosophat of Ezra of Nehemiah of Ester and diuers other Yea haue not we our selues often had experience hereof Oh therefore that we would turne some of our riotous feastings into such religious fastings lest as the Lord hath threatned he turne our feasts Amos 8. 10. into mournings and our songs into lamentations and bring vp sackcloth vpon all loines and baldnesse vpon euery head and make it as the mourning of an onely sonne and the end thereof as a bitter day Yet fie vpon all the hypocriticall and detestable fasts of the Papists which are plaine mockeries of the fasts of the Lord yea which are so much more detestable in the eyes of the Lord by how much the more in number they exceed the fasts of the Lord. For whereas the Lord
first also seemeth two-fold either for some speciall sinne or for the demonstration of some speciall worke of Gods power or mercie for the greater glorie of his name This distinction I gather from the answer of our Sauiour to his Disciples asking him of the man borne blind whether he or Ioh 9. 2. his parents had sinned that he was borne blind that is whether he or his parents had committed any speciall sinne for which the Lord had laid this blindnesse vpon him To this our Sauiour answereth Neither hath this man sinned ver 3. nor his parents but that the worke of God should be made manifest in him Our Sauiour thus answereth not altogether to free him and his parents from sinne for there is no man 1 King 8 46. Iam. 3. 2. that sinneth not and in many things we offend all and euery man must daily aske the forgiuenesse of his trespasses neither to teach that this blindnesse was not from sinne and for sinne For â—â— death entred by sinne so also all afflictions Rom. 5. 12. Psal 38. 3. 4. are the fruites of sinne This answer therefore was onely made according to the supposition and opinion of the Disciples and other that thought not onely all afflictions to come from sinne but also euery speciall affliction to haue some speciall sinne for the cause thereof and that the greater afflâ—ction any had the greater sinner he had bin as Iobs friends thought of him Howsoeuer the Lord afflicteth any man whether for some speciall or personall sinnes of himselfe or onely generally for sinne but yet for manifestation of some speciall worke of God for his owne further glorie thereby all must be patiently and without grudging or murmuring borne in respect both Heb. 11. 6. of the cause thereof in God namely his loue and also in respect of the desert thereof by mans sinne and in respect of the end of such afflictions namely that the person so chastised might either be reclaimed and conuerted from sinne wherein before he had altogether liued as Manasses the greatesâ— sinner that euer we reade to haue bin conuerted was notwithstanding by his captiuitie and bonds so 2. Chron. 32. 12 greatly humbled before the God of his fathers that he prayed vnto him and found mercie and became a most worthy conuert for euer after either I say that the person so afflicted Psal 94. 12. might be conuerted or that hauing before bin conuerted he might be better instructed in the law of Heb. 12. 1. Ioh. 5. 17. Psal 94. 12. God and made more plentifully partaker of the holinesse of God In all which respects a man so afflicted being said to be blessed what great reason hath euery man so afflicted patiently to beare such affliction This being added that such afflictions are as fire to purge vs of all our drosse as gold is tried and made finer by the fire whereby we may 1. Pet. 1 7. be the fitter sacrifices for God and the said triall of our faith may be found to our praise honour and glorie at the appearing of Iesus Christ Most cause especially haue such to be patient how many how great and how heauie soeuer their said afflictions are that before haue enioyed great mercies according to those excellent words of Iob to his Iob 2. 10. foolish and troublesome wife What shall we receiue â—ood at the hands of God and shall we not receiue euill In such afflictions also euery man ought to make so much more vse of them that by them he mâ—y more mortâ—fie his old man with all the lusts thereof in him and be the more renewed in the inward man that so his whole man may be a sacrifice to God more liuing holy and acceptable as here the Apostle speaketh Of this passiue kind of sacrifice Iob is a Iam. 5. 11. most worthy example highly commended to our imitation so also is Dauid who notwithstanding he had many Psal 39. 9. afflictions yet was dumbe and opened not his mouth because the Lord did it and though many sought after his life laying Psal 38. 12. snares for him and speaking mischieuous things against him yet as before he was as a deafe man not hearing and as a dumbe man not opening his mouth How did he manifest this euen when he was King and when wicked Shimei 2. Sam. 16. 5. not only most impudently railed of him and rauâ—d against him in the rebellion of Absolom but also most villanously cast stones at him All which was the more grieuous in respect of his other great calamitie by the rebellion of his owne sonne against him Thus much briefly of the first kind of our passiue sacrificing of our selues to God The second passiue sacrificing of our selues is by suffering The second passiue sacrificing of our selues persecution both in word and deed for Christ and his Gospell the which as it is often commanded to all that will be indeed his Disciples euen to take vp his crosse Math. 10. 38. 16 24. and follow him he being pronounced vnworthy to be his disciple that will not so do and that by the example of Christ himselfe suffering for sinnes and for the vniust himselfe 1. Pet. 3 18. being without all sinne and most iust as I say this is often commanded so is it likewise commended they being pronounced blessed that suffer persecution and be railed Maâ— 5. 10. 11. on for Christs sake because theirs is the kingdome of heauen 1. Pet. 4. 13. 14. and the Spirit of glorie resteth on them By such sufferings Christ himselfe entred into his glorie Would we be partaker of his glorie more easily then himselfe So indeed we shall Luk. 24 26. 1. Pet. 1. 11. be because our sufferings how great soeuer are but flea-bites in comparison of his For though we had the strength of all Angels we could not suffer so much for him as he hath suffered for vs. Notwithstanding if we will be glorified Rom 8. 17. ver 29. together with him we must also suffer with him And whom God before knew them he predestinated to be conformed to the image of his Sonne And alas what are the sufferings of this present time verily not worthy to be compared reckon ver 18. how we will or can to the glorie that shall be reuealed Yea the sufferings of Christ were the more in respect of the eminencie Phil. 2. 6. c. of his person he being in the forme of God c. and yet taking vpon him the forme of a seruant and humbling himselfe to the death of the crosse euen to such a death as would haue broken the backs of men and Angels The sufferings also of Christ for vs were the more because though he suffered them of necessitie as before we heard yet that necessitie was by the decree of himselfe with his Father and the holy Ghost neither was it by any coaction or constraint but most freely most
euery man had need doing the like also afterward with great alacritie and being of one heart and of one soule the Act. 4. 32. number of beleeuers that were before but three thousand being then increased to fiue thousand ver 4. How also did the Lord shew himselfe well pleased yea better pleased then euer before by working greater miracles then euer before had bin wrought at least in such abundance not onely by giuing sight to the blind hearing and speech to the deafe and dumbe raising the dead casting out of diuels a worke neuer before heard of and that not onely by our Sauiour himselfe but also by the Apostles by giuing health to the sicke not only to whom the Apostles spake but also to such as did but stand in the shadow of them Were not also the gifts of the holy Act 5. 15. Act. 8. 17 and. 19. 6. Act. 10. 44. Ghost giuen to many other by laying on of the hands of the Apostles yea by their words and that euen to speake with tongues Doth not the Apostle also by this Gods bearing witnesse vnto the Gospell by signes and wonders and diuers miracles and gifts of the holy Ghost proue the Gospel before by him called by the name of the great saluation to be more excellent then the Law which he calleth but by the name of a word as it were a bare word spoken by Angels Heb. 2. 2. 3. and therefore also the neglect of the Gospell to be a greater sinne then the despising of that word though spoken by Angels All these things do abundantly shew the will of God reuealed in the Gospell to be better pleasing to God now then his will before in the olâ— Testament and all this to be so because himselfe would haue it so to be It is not therefore of vs or from vs as though we in this time of the Gospell had procured or deserued God to be better plâ—ased with vs then with other heretofore For how could this be sith we had alwayes before sit in darknesse and in Luk. â— 79. Ephes 2. 1. ver 12. the shadow of death and had also bin dead in trespasses and sins c. strangers frrom the couenants of promise c. being also so without knowledge that we did not so much as call vpon his Name much lesse did we craue any grace Psal 79. 6. of him at least so as to be heard and to obtaine such grace as whereby to be well pleasing vnto him But as therefore the first couenant that God made with Abraham and afterward renewed and continued with his seed was not for any goodnesse of them or of any desert in them they then seruing other gods but onely of Gods loue towards Iosh 24. Dan 7. 8. 1. Sam. 12. 22. them and because it pleased him to make them his people so is it to be said of this and of all that enioy this good will of God whereby they were or are acceptable vnto him If it be said that this is the time of the Gospell and of the new Testament and that yet we liuing vnder the same haue no such thing I answer first that Gods graces are at his owne disposition and that therfore in that place before to the Hebrewes of Gods so bearing witnesse to the Heb. 2. 4. Psal 24. 1. and 50. 10. Hag. 2. 8. Gospell by signes and wonders c. it is added according to his owne will May man do with his owne what he wil though indeed he haue nothing of his owne but all be the Lords and may not God much more do with his owne and bestow his graces on whom he will where when and how Mat. 20. 15. it pleaseth him Gods sparing of his graces now and not powring out his Spirit nor bestowing his mercies as at the first he did is not of any niggardlinesse in him but of his wisedome as knowing what is fittest for all persons and times It is also according to his owne word fortelling the cause thereof namely the falling away of many from the 1. Tim. 4. 1. faith and their listning to seducing spirits and doctrines of diuels and beleeuing of lies and not the truth but taking pleasure 2. Thes 2. 11. 12. in vnrighteousnesse so that the restraint of Gods mercies now is not from any inconstancie in God but from the sinnes of men and for the manifestation of Gods iustice to his owne glorie for mens such sinnes In respect of the former apostasie and declining from the truth and beleeuing of lies notwithstanding the Lord had so graced and magnified the same truth by those manifold meanes before mentioned we may rather admire his goodnesse in vouchsafing the least mercie now then charge him with any vnfaithfulnesse or inconstancie The former gifts also of the holy Ghost in former times bestowed and the former miracles and works of God before wrought were not onely for that age but also for all ages to come and for confirmation of the Gospell to all other As our Sauiour saith of the writings of Moses If ye beleeue not his writings how shall ye beleeue my words And Ioh. 5. 47. againe of Moses and the Prophets If they heare not Moses and the Prophets that is the preaching of their doctrine Luk. 16. 31. neither will they be perswaded though one rose from the dead and so much more may it be said of those former works done by our Sauiour and his Apostles through the power of our Sauiour as also of the gifts of the holy Ghost then bestowed they haue the works of our Sauiour and his Apostles alreadie written and in his written word they may reade how the Lord before hath powred out his Spirit vpon all flesh if they beleeue not them neither wil they beleeue if they should see the like in these times But I demand hath God shut vp all his works and graces for confirmation of his Gospell in former times so long past Hath he not in these last times since the breaking forth of the glorious light of the Gospell out of the foule fog and thick and palpable darknesse of Poperie a thousand times worse then the darknesse of Egypt or at Exod. 10. 21. Mat 27. 45. the death of Christ Hath not God now I say by many graces and works testified this his last will and testament made by his Sonne in his name to be acceptable and well pleasing vnto him yea so acceptable and well pleasing as before we heard Many wayes For how mightily hath his said will and Gospell preuailed and increased since the dayes of Wickliffe Iohn Husse Ierome of Prague Luther Melancthon Occolampadius and a few other all but few and weake and yet strongly opposed and oppugned by many potent aduersaries yea though all the world almost Pope Emperour and all other Princes the Duke of Saxonie excepted contended with the said Luther most worthily propugning and maintaining the Gospel against them all yet they
Lord had wrought amongst them did then most cruelly oppresse the Israelites when the Lord was neerest to deliuer them and to ouerthrow the said Pharao and all his hoast in the red sea As therefore Moses said to the Israelites greatly fearing and murmuring when Exod. 14. 13. they saw Pharaoh following them behind hard at the heeles and the red sea before them Feare ye not stand still and see the saluation of the Lord for the Aegiptians whom ye haue seene ye shall neuer see againe so may I and all other the Lords Ministers say to all the Lordes people now fearing because of the Romanists present raging and preuailed against the Churches Feare not stand still and see the Saluation of the Lord. For the time cannot be far off when this Reu. 17. 16. and 18. 18. great Whore of Rome shal be iudged and burnt with fire and her Cittie laid wast and desolate Then shall all her friends howle and cry as bitterly as euer they merrily reioyced and tryumphed and much more then euer they made the Lords people to weepe and mourne As therefore Right Honorable you are wise iudiciously to consider of these things as you are godly to helpe the Lords people against the mightie by your daily praiers for performance of his promises in confounding his said mightie aduersaries and doing to them as sometimes he did to Midian and Sisera and Iabin and to other his Psal 83. 9. old enemies so be you also strong in the Lord and in Ephes 6. 10. the power of his might to do whatsoeuer you now may or shall hereafter be able to do by your selues or by your acquaintance of like place and honor with your selues yea also with all such as ouer whom you shall haue any authoritie from his most excellent Maiestie Too much is knowne to be done for the said enemies of the Lord euen by the papists heere at home and much more is done then is knowne Shall therefore such friends of the Lord as your Honors are doe little for him and for his people God forbid As therefore the Apostle exhorteth Heb. 10. 24. the Hebrewes to consider one another to prouoke vnto loue and to good workes in generall so I beseech you to suffer the wordes of exhortation to do the like in this speciall against that Belzebub of Rome and all his deuouted and sworne friends that by your noble examples all other may be the more prouoked to doe the like also Do the new Edomites cry one to another against the Church Rase it Rase it euen to Psal 137. 7. the foundation thereof and shall not all that loue the Lords Ierusalem cry the like against the new Babilonians the enimies of the Lords said Ierusalem for whose downefall and vtter ruine we haue so many promises deliuered in the presentence as certainly to assure vs of their performance as if they were already performed Farre be this from all such noble spirits as yours is Hate you therefore that shamelesse and gracelesse Whore of Rome Hate her I say and all her bauds the Iesuites and other Seminarie Priests Hate them hate them with perfect hatred The more you shall hate them the more assurance you shall haue of the loue of God towards your selues especially if with the hatred of them you shall loue all them that do hate her and hers You haue most worthily begun Since also your Cal. 5. 7. beginning you and your noble ancestors haue run well Let nothing hinder your obedience to the truth vnto the end Let none take your crowne from you That crowne I say that much more excelleth all the Crownes and Diadems of all Emperors Kings and other Princes in the world then all the said Crownes and Diadems doe excell the basest pebble-stone that is It may be also that sometimes you may with other your like Peeres of this Kingdome speake a word in such a season to his most excellent Maiestie for the helpeing of other Churches abroad against the furie of their Antichristian Roman aduersaries and for the repressing of Iesuites Seminarie Priests and other obstinate traiterous harted Papists at home It may be I say that you with other may speake a word in such season that shal be as apples of gold in pictures of siluer Pro. 25. 11. both for the greater glory of God and also for the better comfort of the Churches and the like safetie of his Maiestie himselfe of his Royall posteritie and of all his kingdomes As the Lord sometime in the very like case cursed him that did the worke of Ier. 48. 10. the Lord negligently and kept backe his sword from bloud so shall all Princes and other most certainly be blessed that in these distresses of the churches shal be mercifull according to the mercie of God whereby themselues haue bin aduanced for they shall obtaine Mat. 5. 7. Iam. 2. 23. mercie and their said mercie shall reioyce against iudgement As hitherto Right Honorable I haue directed my speech to both your Honors ioyntly so giue me leaue now to conuert my selfe to you my yong Lord more especially whom before in the inscription of this myepistle dedicatorie I haue mentioned And so much the more do I presume thus to do because you are not nobly desended onely according to the flesh but also because you come of a stocke as noble for religion and the profession of the Gospell For of my knowledge you are now the fourth of that Honorable house in a right line that haue bin renowned in the Churches for profession of the Gosspell and fauour vnto the professiors and Ministers thereof Your Honorable great Grand-father maintained in his house learned Mr. Wright afterward called from thence to be Preacher at Ispwich in Suffolke then from thence remoued to Dinnington where yet I hope he remaineth a graue reuerend and vigilant pastour My selfe also once being at Hampton-Court about some 43 yeares past when Doct. Some was to preach before most renowned Queene Elizabeth of most blessed memorie did there see your said Noble great Grand-father in his humilitie to be as carefull yea also painefull to see all things in pulpit to be fit for him as if he had beene some inferour officer in the chappell to haue looked vnto such things Of your late Noble Grand-father the memoriall was and is most sweet and precious and will neuer die Of your most Noble Father I haue said ynough before in this my epistle dedicatorie to him and your selfe Heere also may not be forgotten the most virtuous and gracious Countesse and Ladie your Mother of pietie and modestie a most worthy patterne to all other Noble women of like sort How good also is the Lord vnto you in your christian education and instruction vnder Mr Collens the godly and painefull pastour of Braintree as it were at the feete of Gamaliel In which respect it Act. 22. 3. may be said of you as Paul writeth of Timothie
bountifully reward such seruants at their departure from them then such people do reward such Ministers euen whilst they are with them And may not such iudgements of God be feared against the whole land for this sinne as heeretofore haue bin executed vpon other people for the like The same I say for that which I haue written of the itching eares of some to heare other preachers farther off dwelling with neglect of their owne and neerer dwellers though they cannot iustly except any thing against them yea I haue written the more in this behalfe not onely because of the great discouragement of such their owne and other neere dwelling Ministers but also because somtime such itching ears vpon a light report of some stranger preaching 3 or 4 miles off on the Lordes day going to heare him haue lost their labour heard no Sermon at all That notwithstanding which I haue written of hearing the next dwelling Preachers after their owne rather then further dwellers I doe not meane of Preachers in the same Cittie or Towne that hath diuers Churches because in such places farther dwellers may be heard after their owne Preachers without any great labour of the hearer and without any preiudice to neerer dwellers In such places more libertie may be vsed then where further dwellers cannot be heard without more labour then is fit to be taken on the Lords day Neither also do I so condemne all hearing of further dwellers mens owne or neere dwelling Preachers not being neglected but that in some extraordinarie causes and at sometimes for comfort of afflicted consciences or for resolution of some doubtfull mindes in some things men may heare some furthers dwellers whom they shall vnderstand either to preach of such a text as may minister most comfort to such troubles of conscience or to handle such points as are especially doubted of Prouided notwithstanding that it be no ordinarie matter neither often but seldome These things I haue heere promised to preuent all misconstruction of any thing in this treatise by me written and consequently to auoid all offence by such misconstruction If any other thing shall seeme strange I hope that loue and iudgement shall qualifie the strangnesse thereof Loth I am and very loath to offend any of Gods children But touching such as are so curious that nothing will please them and that rather read mens workes to carpe at them then to profit by them seeming alwaies to learne and yet 2. Tim. 3. 7. neuer attaining sound knowledge I care not to please their humors Thus crauing thy praiers for my owne comfort in my old weake age and for the blessing of God vpon this my Treatise that many may present themselues such sacrifices to God as in this Scripture he requireth and may also according thereunto take the mâ—re heed of all conformitie to this world and be the more carefull to be reformed in their minds c I commit Act. 20. 32. thee to God and to the word of his grace whereby we may all be built vp and at the last haue that inheritance which he will giue to all them which are sanctified Thine vnfaignedly in the Lord Iesus THOMAS STOVGHTON From my poore lodging in the poore Hospitall called S. Bartholomewes by Sandwich in Kent August 21. 1622. THE CHRISTIANS SACRIFICE ROM 12. 1. I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a sacrifice liuing holy and acceptable to God your reasonable seruice 2 And be not conformed to this world but be yee transformed by the renewing of your mind that ye may proue what is that good that acceptable and perfect will of God CHAP. I. The first Chapter concerning the coherence of this Text and all following to the end with the former eleuen Chapters and the doctrine in them deliuered IN all the former part of this Epistle the Apostle after the testification of his loue vnto these Christian Romanes by his gracious salutation of them and holy thanksgiuing vnto God in their behalfe as also by his earnest prayers for them hath chiefly and principally laboured in deliuering certaine maine and fundamentall points of Religion yet not so wholy and altogether but that sometimes he inserteth some exhortations according to occasion offered by the particular doctrines handled by him The points of doctrine before deliuered are especially The points of doctrine handled in all the former Chapters these First the corruption of all men Iewes and Gentiles by nature in transgressing the law of God together with the wrath of God deserued thereby in the latter part of the first Chapter and so forward to the end of the second shewing notwithstanding by the way that the Iewes were deeper in that corruption then the Gentiles in respect of their greater knowledge and that yet God had bin very patient and long-suffering towards them thereby the better to leade them to repentance Secondly proleptically to preuent an obiection he sheweth that their greater sinne did not preiudice their prerogatiue aboue the Gentiles by the word of God onely vouchsafed vnto them and to no other nation and so preuenting some other obiections to make way to the doctrine of iustification by faith alone without the works of the law either ceremoniall or morall performed by meere naturall men or in part sanctified by grace he handleth this point largely in the third and fourth Chapters amplifying the same by diuers effects and fruites thereof and declaring the grace of God therein to be the greater because God vouchsafed the same when they that were so iustified by him were his enemies c. Chap. 5. In the sixt Chapter he hath shewed the said grace of God in so iustifying men not to giue libertie to men to sinne but to bind men to make the more vse of the death and resurrection of Christ to the dying vnto sinne and liuing vnto righteousnesse and giuing their members as plentifully as truly and as cheerfully vnto righteousnes as euer before they had giuen them vnto sinne and vnrighteousnesse In the seuenth Chapter he sheweth in what maner we that now liue vnder the Gospell are freed from the Law and how we are dead vnto the Law and yet that the Law is still necessary to shew vs our corruption remaining in the best and being so forcible that many times it maketh them to do that that they should not and the which by grace they would not doe so that euen the very best though as holy as Paul may crie out of their miserable estate in that respect and yet the more giue thanks to God for their deliuerance from the same by Iesus Christ In the eight Chapter he insisteth in the former priuiledge of them that are deliuered by Iesus Christ from their miserable condition by sinne remaining in them declaring not onely that all that are in Christ Iesus are freed from condemnatioÌ„ and who they be that so are in Christ Iesus but also that they are by
know they shall be in heauen with him as they know himselfe to be there and whiles he was here to haue prayed for vs that we might be there where he should be yea by which vnion we do already sit with Ephes 2. 6. him in the heauenly places Tenthly the Apostle hath assured vs that he will make our vile bodies like vnto his glorious bodie and that when he Philip. 3. 21. Col. 3. 4. shall appeare we shall appeare with him in glorie and Iohn saith we shall be like him and see him as he is 1. Ioh. 3. 2. Eleuenthly the wicked souldiers that brake the bones of the theeues crucified with Christ could not breake his bones because it was written of the Passe-ouer a type of Christ A bone of him shall not be broken Was it not possible for a bone of his naturall bodie to be broken because it Ioh. 19. 33. 36. was so written and shall it be possible for any whole member of his mysticall bodie to be vtterly lost Twelfthly and lastly not to be tedious herein None of the sheepe of Christ that haue heard his voice and followed Ioh. 10. 28. 29. him can be taken out of Christs hand because the Father that hath giuen them vnto him is stronger then all And all the children of God begotten againe through the rich mercie of God are kept and guarded as I said before by the power of God c. Is it not blaspemous either to say that God is 1. Pet. 1. 5. In Chap. 1. at the end vnrighteous or to denie his omnipotencie that he is not able to keepe his owne May we not vpon these grounds crie out O the vnsearchable riches of Gods goodnesse as well as of his wisedome May we not breake out into admiration of the happie and blessed state and condition of all them that are partaker of such mercies of God Oh then how forcible an argument is this of the Apostle to prouoke vrge and presse all by these mercies to present their bodies a sacrifice vnto God Yea certainly this argument is greater then whatsoeuer can be vrged to this purpose from all the iudgements of God We are many times prouoked Ios 23. 8. c. and 24. 14. 1. Sam. 12. 24. to cleaue vnto God to feare God c. by consideration of the great works of his mercie for this life both performed and also promised how much more then ought these his great mercies of the life to come quicken vs thus to present our bodies a sacrifice liuing holy acceptable Therefore this Apostle from the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead in that glorious maner that he had described the same inferreth this exhortation to stedfastnes in iudgement and to abounding in all good workes with constancie Therefore my beloued brethren be stedfast 1. Cor. 15. 58. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is rest your selues in the former doctrine as in a seate or chaire of state after ye haue bin wearied with the errors of false Apostles to the contrary be vnmoueable let no man vnseate you abounding always in the worke of the Lord forasmuch as ye know euen certainly that your labour is not in vaine in the Lord. Doth not the Apostle Peter also from the same certaintie of Gods future mercies exhort the Christian Iews with all diligence to adde to their faith 2 Pet. 1. 5. 6. Vt virtus à nomine vir proforti strenuo ita 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ab 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 deriuatur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 autem est Mars quam Poetae imperunt Deum bâ—lli vertue or rather fortitude or courage according to the deriuation of the Greeke word and to their said courage knowledge for the better direction thereof and to knowledge temperance because men of courage are commonly intemperate and to temperance patience and to patience godlinesse and to godlinesse brotherly kindnesse and to brotherly kindnesse loue euen towards all men Doth not Iohn likewise exhort to loue one another vnfainedly and in deed as well as in word from our knowledge that we 1. Ioh. 3. 14. 18. 19. are translated from death vnto life and of our being in truth for the present and from assurance of our hearts before him for the time to come Away therefore with all doctrine of Poperie that teacheth the certaintie of Gods mercie to come to be the doctrine of securitie and libertie Away with all Arminianisme that teacheth that no man can be sure of his saluation and that men partaker of the former mercies may for all that lose all Heb. 6. 9. and vtterly and finally fall away from grace All obiections to the contrary are strawy watery and weake The mainest obiection of all other from Heb. 6. 4. c. is dog-lame yea the legs thereof are so cut off in the very 9. 10. same place vers 9. 10. that it must haue legs made of wood to support it that will be burnt with the fire For the Apostle adding that he was perswaded better things of them and such as did accompanie saluation prouing the same from the very righteousnesse of God in those respects that before I haue spoken doth by his said words plainly teach vs that he had not before spoken of such things as necessarily accompanie saluation Can there be any thing better then faith and these mercies of God apprehended by faith Therefore it is certaine that the Apostle had not before spoken of such things as in verse the 9. he calleth better things and such as accompanie saluation They that fall away from the communion of Saints and that lose their taste of those mercies they seemed to haue neuer were of the Saints neither euer indeed had receiued those 1. Ioh. 2. 19. mercies I haue seene a little dog-bolt booke lately published by some that style themselues falsly called Anabaptists but it is lamentable to see how the poore men moile themselues in their errors and how they are puzzled with the former place of Iohn labouring to answer it but most fouly abusing it saying themselues cannot tell what They multiply words indeed but in them not a word to purpose neither worth any answer But to returne and proceed doth not this our Apostle from the very promises of God made to the Iewes in old time mentioned in the end of the 2. Cor. 6. prouoke vs Gentiles engrafted into Christ to purge our selues from all 2. Cor. 7. 1. filthinesse of the flesh and of the spirit c. As for the words following in the feare of God and the like elsewhere they are onely to be opposed to presumption and are to be vnderstood as motiues to the more watchfulnesse in respect Philip. 2. 12. of the weaknesse of our selues whiles we liue in the flesh and of other that in particulars haue deeply fallen and also as I said before of the manifold and mightie aduersaries of our saluation yea not onely in respect
of the number and power of our said aduersaries but also in repect of their great craft and subtiltie With these mercies of God concerning the life to come we may also ioyne the afflictions wherewith the Lord doth chastise our outward man because by them he schooleth vs to make vs the fitter for the life to come and humbleth vs to make vs more capable of his graces accompanying saluation In which respect the Prophet saith It Psal 119. 71. is good for me that I haue bin afflicted that I might learne thy statutes And the Lord threatning that if his people would not hearken vnto him to do all his commandements he would Leuit. 26. 14. c thus and thus afflict them and if by such afflictions they would not learne to refraine their wayes then he would send seuen times more plagues vpon them according to their verse 21. sinnes c. The Lord I say threatning these things doth not onely teach vs that afflictions are for sinne but that also they are medicines to cure vs of sin and so to reforme vs that we may present our selues such a sacrifice as here we are exhorted vnto The same is manifest by other places Iob 5. 17. Psal 94. 12. Pro. 3. 12. Heb. 12. 5. Reuel 3. 19. that in the former considerations pronounce him blessed whom the Lord chastiseth as also that teach the Lord to loue them whom he correcteth By all these things we see that we may well reckon the Lords chastisements among his mercies And therefore the more the Lord hath exercised any in such maner the more euery such man should labour to present himselfe such a sacrifice to God lest he send seuen times more such plagues vpon him Leuit. 26. 18 c such chastisements not being the least of Gods mercies For whom he loueth he will not leaue but though he make no vse of one affliction to the bettering of himselfe yet he shall haue another till he be reformed of such euils as for the which the Lord hath so before once or twice or thrice afflicted him Let euery man therefore be admonished by Gods chastisements not onely according to these Scriptures before alledged but also according to the counsell of our Sauiour to him that had bin so impotent for 38 yeares that he was not able to helpe himselfe and Ioh. 5. 14. whom he had restored with a word of his mouth Behold thou art made whole sinne no more lest a worse thing come vnto thee But of this somewhat more afterward All the former mercies and euery one of them concerning the life to come are so great that he is more then stonie yea of a steely heart that will not be prouoked by them to giue himselfe such a sacrifice as here is commended Notwithstanding although the Apostle in the former part of the Epistle hath treated onely of Gods mercies for the life to come and from them especially doth in this place exhort the beleeuing Romanes and all other to giue their bodies a sacrifice vnto God yet Gods mercies also of this life being appendices of them and appurtenances vnto them ought to moue vs so to do the rather because that God by the giuing of Christ for vs as the fountaine Rom. 8. 32. of all mercies hath assured vs freely with him to giue vs all things If all things then also the mercies of this life Hath not Christ also promised also all mercies euen for this life to be cast vpon them that first seeke the kingdome of God and his righteousnesse And indeed the blessings of Math. 6. 33. this life great and small are not onely free gifts in respect of our vnworthinesse of them but they are also mercies both in respect of that miserable state wherein all men are first borne euen the children of Princes as well as of the poorest yea more weake and miserable then any other creatures at their first comming into the world and also because the first parents of all mankind by their first sinne brought themselues and all their posteritie into all miseries of this life depriuing themselues and all theirs of all those blessings euen of this life that before the Lord had most richly endowed them withall In this regard therefore we here in England haue greater cause thus to present our selues a sacrifice vnto God because as the Prophet after enumeration of many blessings and mercies bestowed vpon the Israelites whereby he had prouoked them to praise the Lord he concludeth with these words He hath not dealt so with any nation so we may truly say Psal 147. 20. that the Lord hath not dealt so with any nation in his bountifull blessings and mercies euen of this life as well as of the life to come as he hath dealt with vs here in England especially at this time may we say so because we daily heare and almost see all our neighbors round about vs as sheepe appointed to the slaughter to be killed all the day Psal 44. 22. Rom. 8. 36. long without all mercie according to the religion now of that man of Rome and contrary to the religion that is of God or else to be forced to flie for their liues Iam. 1. 27. and 3. 17. whereas we with our children in the meane time dwell safely here euery man vnder his fig-tree from Dan euen to 1. King 4. 25. Beersheba that is from one end of the land vnto the other all the dayes of our present Soueraigne and of our former most renowmed Queene Oh that we had hearts to consider of these mercies as we ought to do so by them to prouoke our selues to offer our selues such a sacrifice to God as also we ought and so much the more by how much the more vnworthy we are of the least of them But do we so Oh that we did Nay rather we are all the more seâ—ure and do the more adde sinne vnto sinne soothing our selues in our said mercies saying with old and new Babylon I shall be a Ladie for euer and giuing our selues Isai 47. 7. 8. to pleasure and dwelling carelesly and with them saying also in our hearts We are alone viz. honorable and happy and none else besides vs we shall not sit as a widow neither shall we see the losse of children We are also like to them that were at ease in Sion â—and trusted in the mountaine of Samaria Amos 6. 1. c. Ezek. 12. 27. putting farre away the euill day c. But oh that at length we would be wiâ—e and see the euill to come and hide Pro. 22. 3â— 27. 12. our selues from it Oh that we would take heed lest we feele that which the Prophet Isaiah in the place before mentioned threatned euen in a moment to come to that old Babylon in one day the losse of children and widowhood that is those euils that she neuer dreamed of yea that she in her pride and securitie boasted she
highly that we should receiue them as the Galatians sometime did Paul Gal. 4. 14. 2. Cor. 5. 20. euen as an Angell of God yea as Christ Iesus himselfe for whom they are Ambassadours and finally that if it were possible as Paul speaketh in the former place to the Galatians we should plucke out our owne eyes and giue them vnto them if thereby we might do them good If as Christ laid downe his life for vs we ought to lay downe ours for the 1. Ioh. 3. 16. brethren should we not much more do the same for faithfull Ministers that teach vs and are Gods hands to deliuer Isai 52. 7. Rom. 10. 15. these mercies vnto vs How beautifull are the feet of them that bring glad tidings Shall their faces then be odious vnto vs so indeed they are to many especially if the Ministers preaching neuer so freely and without any charge vnto them do reproue them or theirs yea if from the guiltinesse of their consciences they do but thinke themselues or theirs reproued then they take them to be their enemies as Ahab did Eliah Sometime also they shake their 1. King 21. 20. Psal 22. 7. Math. 27. 39. heads at such Ministers as Dauids enemies did at him as a type of Christ and as they that passed by did at Christ himselfe vpon the crosse and as the bull doth at the dogs But of the regard of the Ministers of the word more afterwards Here also from these words the mercies of God let vs learne humilitie and acknowledge all that we haue to come from Gods mercie in respect of our miserie euen a pluralitie of mercies in respect of the pluralitie of our miseries How then can any boast of any merits in respect of any works How can any man glorie in himselfe Yea let all men giue all glorie to God for deliuering them from their manifold miseries by vouchsafing them so manifold mercies But it shall be sufficient thus briefly to haue pointed as it were with the finger at this point of humilitie by Gods mercies To conclude this argument from Gods mercies the more mercie that any man hath receiued the more let him present his bodie a sacrifice to God But wil some man say do you not forget your selfe by speaking of more mercie For did you not before say that all Gods mercies of the life to come go together and he that hath one hath all if therfore euery one haue all that hath any how can he haue more can there be more then all I said so indeed and so say againe and do not you forget your selfe that thinke to take me napping your selfe being napping For to omit that before in saying as now you charge me that all Gods mercies go together I spake onely of his mercies for the life to come I haue now spoken of the mercies of this life which are giuen more in number to one then to another to omit this I say I pray you remember that before I spake of mercies in the plurall number now I speake of mercie in the singular number Although therefore all Gods common mercies for the life to come and accompanying saluation do go together so that where there is one there are all yet I said also before that the mercies of God are giuen in seuerall measures touching the particulars knowledge faith hope loue patience humilitie temperance c. go all together yea so that he in whom any sinne reigneth hath none of all these notwithstanding though he that hath one of these hath all yet euery man hath not these in the same measure some haue knowledge in a greater measure then other so also faith the same is to be said of the rest This therefore is my meaning that euery man the more knowledge the more faith he hath the more hope the more loue and the more and greater measure he hath of any other mercie the more he giue himselfe a sacrifice to God for the more glorifying of God Let no man boast of greater mercies of God in him then are in other but let him consecrate himselfe the more vnto God and glorifie God the more Thus much of the three arguments prefixed to the exhortation CHAP. IIII. Coutaining an entrance into the exhortation and an explication of the words thereof Present your bodies a sacrifice NOw followeth the exhortation it selfe wherein I will first open the seuerall words and note some points of doctrine in them and then speake of the whole exhortation The words are these Present your bodies a sacrifice The word by some translated giue by our new Bibles present commonly signifieth and is vsed for adesse to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to present be present Sometimes for probare to proue as when Paul saith his aduersaries could not proue the things whereof Act. 24. 13. they accused him Sometimes for commendare to commend as Meate doth not commend vs vnto God and very often 1. Cor. 8. 8. to present as here it is translated viz. in the places noted in the margin and often elsewhere For I do but name Luc. 2. 22. Ro. 6. 16. 19. 2. Cor. 4. 14. 11. 2. Col. 2. 22. Eph. 5. 27. the places in haste to the words following So I take it in this place By bodies here synecdochically he meaneth the whole man * Bodies and our bodies bodies and soules and the pronoune yours is not altogether to be neglected but to be well obserued as excluding the bodies of beasts and the bodie of Christ The former law for sacrificing of beasts is abolished by the bodie of our Lord Iesus Christ offered and sacrificed by himselfe and so accomplishing and performing all typically signified by the former sacrifices of beasts Touching Christs owne bodie and Christ himselfe none in heauen or in earth neither man nor Angell euer was or now is worthy or meete to offer the same but Christ himselfe Christ with once offering of himselfe did beare the sins Heb. 9. 28. Heb. 10. 10. of many c. And by his will are we sanctified through the offering of the bodie of Christ once for all c. And his bodie being now in heauen and there to remaine till his comming Act. 3. 22. to iudgement how can it be offered by any vpon the earth And who by the doctrine of the Papists themselues knoweth when it is offered For without the intention of the Priest for making thereof there is no offering of it as themselues affirme in the celebration of their Masse Now who knoweth or can know the intention of the Priest Whether also do they make the bodie of Christ as they speake in the state of humiliation or of glorification Is God also the onely maker of all other things euen of the least worme and can a shauen Priest make the bodie of Christ Did the onely mightie power of God raise the bodie of Christ out of the graue and afterward exalt it to heauen and shall euery such
Salomon spread forth his hands 1. King 8. 22. toward heauen A speciall point of hands sacrificed is in distributing and giuing to the poore In which respect a vertuous woman is commended for stretching out her Pro. 31. 20. hands to the poore Is it not also before shewed to be the end why the Apostle would haue men to labour with their hands namely that they might haue to giue to him that needeth There be many that labour and take great paines with their hands but either they spend all in drinking or playing or whoring or else they keepe all to themselues not one of twentie so labouring hath sacrificed his hands to God for giuing to them that need The feete also must be sacrificed both by restraining To sacrifice the feete Esay 54. 7. Rom. 3. 13. them from swiftnesse to bloodshed or to commit any other euill and also by being nimble for performance of any good particularly to do any worke of kindnesse or mercie What haste made Abraham to his tent to make Gen. 18. 6. prouision for entertainment of the Angels What haste and 20. 20. also made Rebecca to shew kindnesse to Abrahams seruant before she knew the said seruants errand What haste did Zaccheus make out of the Sycomore tree for entertainment Luk. 19. 6. of our Sauiour Most worthy especially of our obseruation is the example of Abrahams haste about a work most heauie and dolefull to flesh and blood euen the sacrificing and slaying with his owne hands his owne sonne Gen. 22. 3. his onely sonne his sonne whom he loued most dearely his son in whom the promise was made for the blessing of all nations yea and that immediatly after that at the Lords commandement he had sent away his sonne Ishmael borne of the bondwoman yea further whilst Isack was yong and before he had any issue in which all natioÌ„s might be blessed And is not this haste with our feete and whole man the more necessarie in respect of this dull slow age wherein men are as hardly perswaded to any good worke especially of mercie as we say The Beare is drawne to the stake and wherein we may sooner catch a Hare with a pipe and a tabret at least with many pipes and tabrets set in diuers places for the scaring and wearing of her then we can perswade most men to any such worke what necessitie soeuer require the same Yea sometimes prophane persons of a ciuill disposition onely are more easily perswaded to shew kindnesse then some that are great professors Alas also that the wicked should be hastie to commit any wickednes against God and men as the daughter of Herodias Mark 6. 25. 27. being instructed by her mother made haste straightway to aske of Herod the head of Iohn Baptist and Herod himselfe to grant that diuellish request and immediatly to send an executioner to cut it off and that Christians should be so slow to any good worke either towards men or for the comfort of men If these men had learned that of Salomon As vineger is to the teeth and smoake to the eyes Prou. 10. 6. so is a slothfull messenger or a sluggard to him that sendeth him or if they had learned that the Lord saith I will haue Hosea 6. 6. mercie and not sacrifice would they be so slow in that work of the Lord to the doing whereof the Lord sendeth them whether Ministers of the word or any other As therefore the Prophet and Apostle doth exhort vs To day if we will Psal 95. 7. Heb. 3. 13. c. heare his voice not to harden our hearts and as another Prophet saith Seeke the Lord while he may be found So while Isai 55. 6. we haue time to do good euen any thing the Lord requireth of vs either concerning his worship and glorie or concerning our neighbour lâ—t vs make haste to do it lest that light we do yet enioy be taken from vs and the night Ioh. 12. 35. 36. and 11. 9. 10. come vpon vs when either we shall not see to do anything as we ought to do or that in doing it we stumble Who Eccles 11. 2. knoweth what euill shal be vpon the earth and what need himselfe may haue of the mercie of others If the Lord pronounce him accursed that did his worke negligently and Ier. 48. 10. that kept backe his sword from blood for execution of iudgement and vengeance vpon his enemies the Moabites what may they look for that negligently do and that withhold their hands from the workes of mercie Touching other particular parts of our bodies I shall not need to speake of the sacrificing of them the former parts being the principall by that which hath bin said of them we may haue direction for the rest Let this generally suffice that we do not apply them to any thing whereto the Lord hath forbidden vs to apply them but onely to such things as the Lord hath coÌ„manded or allowed them to be applied vnto and that also in such maner as the Lord hath prescribed We must not apply any meÌ„ber of our bodies to euery thing for doing whereof it hath strength but for doing whereof the Lord hath giuen order and according to that order that God hath gâ—uen so must our whole bodie and euery member thereof be vsed In all that hitherto I haue said of the actiue sacrificing of those former members of our bodies that I may not seeme too singular in particularizing those former parts of our bodies let it be considered that I haue but troden Chrysost in Rom. 12. 1. and tom 1. pag. 980. in Psal 150. in the steps of Chrysostome who writeth thus Quomodo corpus hostia nihil mali respiciat oculus factus est hostia nil turpe loquatur lingua facta est oblatio c. How is our bodie a sacrifice let thine eye behold no euill and it is made a sacrifice let thy tongue speake no filthinesse and it is made an oblation let thy hand commit no inquitie and it is made a burnt offering Imo non sufficiunt ista sed bonorum nobis studio lucro opus est c. Yea let not these things suffice but we haue need also of a desire and of the benefit of doing good namely that the hand giue almes that with the mouth we blesse them that raile on vs that our hearing do continually attend to diuine words For a sacrifice hath no vncleannesse it comprehendeth the first fruits of all other and therefore let vs render vnto God the first fruits of our hands of our feete of our mouth as well as of all our other parts such a sacrifice pleaseth God when in the meane time the sacrifices of the Iewes are vncleane And againe when we haue mortified our members then we shall begin to liue For this is a new law of this our sacrifice and therefore here is a maruellous kind of fire for
to attend to the things of this will that we haue heard whereby we are thus blessed The word translated to attend signifieth adhibere to apply What must we apply Our eares to heare yea also our minds more and more to vnderstand yea our loue more and more to embrace and loue it our feare more and more to stand in awe that we offend not this will of God our delight to take more and more pleasure in it our hope more and more to expect with assurance the performance of euery legacie therein bequeathed vnto vs our hatred more and more to loath whatsoeuer is contrary vnto it our zeale to be more and more earnest according to euery occasion for it What more Our mouthes to make confession of it yea our whole man more and more to yeeld all obedience vnto it and to whatsoeuer is in our power for the aduancement of it whereby we may the better testifie it to be indeed in our hearts And all this we ought to do the more abundantly according to the signification as I said of the word translated the more Now this word being a comparatiue must needs haue relation to some other in respect of whom we must more abundantly apply our selues vnto it Who are they then whom we must more abundantly and as it were without measure as neuer being satisfied so apply our selues to the things which we haue heard of this will The Fathers that liued vnder the old Testament mentioned in the beginning of the first Chapter to the Hebrewes The rather must we labour so as before we said to apply our selues wholy to the things we haue heard out of this will more abundantly then euer the said Fathers did because Peter speaking of those Prophets by whom God had in old time so spoken to those Fathers as the Apostle speaketh in that first verse of the first Chapter to the Hebrewes because Peter I say 1. Pet. 1. 12. speaking of those Prophets saith that it was reuealed vnto them that not vnto themselues viz. so much but vnto vs they should minister the things which are now reported or shewed by the Preachers of the Gospell with the holy Ghost sent downe from heauen c. Is it so It is not then enough for vs so to apply our selues to the things we haue heard and daily do heare as the said Fathers did but we must labour so much the more herein to excell them by how much the more the Lord hath bettered his will towards vs aboue that that he did vnto them For to whomsoeuer much is giuen of him much is required But is it so with vs Oh Luk. 12. 48. that it were so But alas alas we come farre short of them The poorest of those Fathers in godlinesse and in such regard of those things that they then heard are much before vs euen before such of vs as account theÌ„selues the richest in those things that we daily heare or may heare and whereby also we enioy many other mercies It may be some of vs haue now more knowledge but if the godlinesse of such be not according their sinne is the Luk. 12. 47. greater CHAP. XVI Of other vses of the former doctrine from those former three adiuncts of the will of God HAuing before made some generall vse of the doctrine from these three adiuncts of the will of God good well pleasing and perfect I will now come to some more particular vse thereof concerning both the dutie of the people towards the Ministers of the said will of God and also of the Ministers themselues in respect of the excellencie of that will so by those adiuncts commended Concerning therefore the former of those two the more excellent that those three adiuncts before handled The excellencie of the Mininistrie do shew the will of God to be the more excellent also must needs be the calling of them whom the Lord hath made Ministers of the said will as his spirituall Lawyers indeed to declare the said his will vnto his people and to lay forth and as it were to pleade all his bountifull and most princely legacies therein bequeathed vnto them against all the enemies of their saluation that endeuour what they can to depriue them of the said legacies The more excellent I say that by those adiuncts of this will the Ministers thereof are then were the Ministers of his former will now by this his last will in part reuoked and disanulled they more highly must they be accounted For as the Apostle to the Hebrewes proueth Christ the Heb. 2. 3. 13. 20 1. Pet. 5. 4. Ioh. 13. 13. first and chiefest Minister of this will yea the Lord and Master of all Ministers yea also the onely Iudge before whom all his Ministers and Lawyers must pleade the said will against all the aduersaries both thereof and also of all them that haue any legacie therein and from whom there lyeth no appeale As I say the Apostle proueth this first and chiefest Minister of this Will to be so much greater then Aaron the first and chiefest high Priest of the Law and of the former will of God yea the chiefe Iudge before whom all matters of difference betwixt cleane and vncleane c. were to be heard tried and determined by how much better this Testament is whereof this first and Heb. 7. 22. 8. 6 chiefe high Priest Christ Iesus is the suretie or mediator as hauing better promises then the old Testament had so by the same reason also all the Ministers of the Gospel may well be iustified in respect of their calling to be greater and more excellent then all the Ministers of the Law namely because vnder Christ by Christ and for Christ they are Ministers of a better and more excellent Testament Hereunto accordeth the commendation of Iohn the Baptist Mat. 11. 9. aboue Eliah and all the other Prophets before whom notwithstanding he preferreth the least in the kingdome of ver 11. heauen that is the least Minister of the Gospell euen the meanest â—or gifts if he be sufficient For the Gospell there and often elsewhere especially in parables is called by the name of â—he kingdome of heauen because it is Christs Scepter of that kingdome and the key whereby he openeth it vnto vs and letteth vs into it and the meanes whereby men are made partaker of the kingdome of grace here and shall hereafter be possest of the kingdome of glorie and without which none shall or can euer attaine vnto this kingdome either of grace or of glorie Iohn also was greater then any of the Prophets because his ministerie was greater then theirs as being a middle ministerie betwixt the Law and the Gospell neither of the Law nor of the Prophets and yet as greater then of the Law so also lesse then of the Gospell The Ministers therefore altogether of the Gospell cannot but be greater then both Iohn and also much more then of the Law onely who
prouoked to the like but the parties themselues shall be neuer a whit the better without this last dutie of obedience Euen all knowledge without obedience to them that haue knowledge shall be in vaine The more also that a man knoweth of this will not doing accordingly 1. Ioh. 2. 4. 1. Cor. 13. 2. Luk. 12. 47. Rom. 2. 5. the good commanded and refraining the euill forbidden with the more stripes shall he be beaten and the more wrath he heapeth vp to himselfe against the day of wrath All the premises by the people to be performed to the Preachers of this wil of God are the more to be respected because the said Preachers by their preaching and by their prayers are the charets and horsemen of those places where they liue as well as Eliah and Elisha were of Israel Whether 2. K. 2. 12. 13 14. also such Preachers be poore or rich the former duties are to be performed vnto them They are neither the more to be regarded for their riches nor the lesse to be respected for their pouertie as touching their maintenance but all respect of them must be for this wils sake the which they preach and declare As the faith of our glorious Iam. 2. 1. Lord Iesus Christ must not be had in respect of persons so must not the ministerie of our Lord Iesus Christ as the which is the meanes whereby the said faith is to be obtained and increased And touching the former obedience it must not be seruile As such Ministers must not be Lords ouer their people being Gods inheritance neither reigne ouer 1 Pet. 5. 3. Mat. 20. 26. them as Kings ouer their subiects so must not the people be in any such subiection vnto them Their subiection must not be to them but to their doctrine in teaching this good this well pleasing and this perfect will of God To leaue the duties of the people to their Ministers in An other vse of the former excellencie of the will of God concerning the Ministers theâ—of respect of the said will of God let me now shew one vse more of the former doctrine concerning the Ministers themselues The more excellent therefore the sayd adiuncts shew this will of God to be the more carefull diligent and faithfull ought all the Ministers thereof to be in declaring the same and laying forth all the benefits thereof to the people of God to whom the same appertaine and over whom the Lord hath set them Let them neither ad any thing thereto nor detract any thing there from lest so of the will of God they make the will of man And indeed how foule a thing were it so to deale with the will of 2 Tim. 4. 2. a man Let them preach it in season and out of season The great ignorance and the like impietie of the people every where requireth it so to be Yet alas how great is the negligence of the Ministers herein I haue spoken somewhat hereof before But who can speake enough to cure this disease against which so many of other Churches so many of our owne all most worthy men haue written so much so divinely so learnedly so fully and substantially and yet no reformation either of Non residencie or of the idlenes of them that are resident Verely this is the staine and the blame of many Churches This is the the bane of many soules so much worse then the murder Ezech. 3. 18. 33. 6. Act 20. 26. 27. of so many bodyes by how much the soule is better then the body And yet the death of the soule is also the death of the body for ever in the world to come The body may here be killed and yet the soule liue yea soule and body may liue forever in heaven But if the soule be here murdered both soule and body cannot but be cast into hell where their worme dyeth not and the fire shall never be quenched Mar. 9. 43. 44. Oh what then shall become of such murderers themselues Shall they speed better No No A thousand ten thousand woes shall fall vpon them without repentance yea great repentance How fearefull was the state of the rich man that would not refresh the body of one poore Lazarus He would haue ben glad of the least mitigation Luk 16. 24. of his torments and begged hard for it but could not obtaine it The negligence also of the Ministers in discharge of their office is the cause likewise of all outward evills and calamities to the people But this sore requyreth the help of our governours for the cure thereof by their authority without it all speaking all preaching all writting will doe no good The more this evill hath hitherto ben spoken preached and written against the more it hath increased and dayly doth increase Let vs therefore the more earnestly pray the Lord to incline the heart of our dread Soveraigne and of out other Rulers vnder his Maiestie to put to their helping hands for redresse and Reformation thereof Thus much of these two verses and of this Argument The conclusion of this Treatise of the Christian Sacrifice Now the Lord sanctifie the consideration of all his mercies as especially of the life to come so also of this life receiued and promised to the good of all to whom these my weake labours shall come yea also of my selfe that from the same and according to the measure of the same to every one imparted we may present our selues soules and bodyes with all the powers of the one and members of the other such a sacrifice both actiue and passiue as before we haue heard even living holy and well pleasing to God and that according to his word and because his word doth both require it and is also the meanes to quicken vs to sanctifie vs and to make vs well pleasing unto him The same Lord also for our better so doing keep vs from all conformitie spirituall and other vnto this world and the wicked therein giving vs grace likewise not onely so to doe but also to be transformed and turned to God by the renuing of our mindes touching our vnderstanding reason will and affections and also of our whole man to this end that we may be able to proue iudge and approue how gracious well pleasing and every way perfect the will of God now is in this time of the gospell since the comming and by the coÌ„ming of Christ both farre differing from and also farre aboue all his will in the time of the law and old Testament that so we may labor the more for the knowledge of it and so much the more to blesse God for it by how much the more he hath blessed vs in it striving likewise so much the more to excell all that lived vnder the old Testament in all true godlines by how much the more this his last will excelleth the former and that we may accordingly regard all the Ministers thereof by how
that marke whereby ye may be knowne so to be sixtly that God hath also blessed my ministery to the winning and instrumentall begetting of other children also vnto him In the seuenth place I might ad that whereof Paul boasteth but herein I am sparing that I may no waies seeme to disgrace any or any waies to insult ouer them I hate a high mind in other and therefore far be it from me to bewray the same in my selfe God haue the glory of all Now sith ye are not onely mine by nature but the Lords also by grace feare ye not but that ye shall be blessed The Psal 112. 2. Isai 55. 3. and 61. 8. 1. Sam. 12. 22. generation of the righteous shall be blessed And Gods couenant made with the righteous their seed is euerlasting whom it hath pleased him to make his people for his name sake he will neuer forsake And now my children looke to your selues that as the Lord will not forsake you so whatsoeuer euill daies shall come ye may not fall from him yea looke to yourselues I do not say that ye loose not the things that we haue 2. Ioh. 8. wrought but that ye loose not the things that God hath wrought in you that not I but ye may receiue a full reward Philip. 1. 6. I am confident in this very thing that he which hath begun a good worke in you wil performe it vntil the day of Iesus Christ Therefore I speake not as fearing but as my louing children to admonish you to vse all dilligence for the keeping of your standing If yea let go your hold of that portion which you haue in God what shall it profit you to gaine the Math. 16. 26. whole world O gaine of godlines how great art thou Thou art profitable and hast the promise of this life and of 1. Tim. 6. 6. and 4. 8. 1. Thes 41. 1. Cor. 15. 61. that which is to come As ye haue already some portion thereof so labor to be more and more rich therein Be ye stedfast unmoueable abounding alwaies in the worke of the Lord knowing that your labour is not in vaine in the Lord ye haue already in part bought the truth yet still be bargaining for it ye want more then ye haue Buy it therefore and sel Prou. 23. 23. Math 13. 44. 45 it not ye shall haue a good market at the last Sell all that ye haue for it rather then not to increase your store of it heerein be ye like to worldlings that whatsoeuer riches they haue yet thinke they haue nothing Be ye like to the horsleaches his daughters Crie ye alwaies giuâ— giue Prou. 30. 15. neither be satisfied neuer say it is enough Let none of you be grieued that I haue left you nothing of my inheritance in Kent neither of my lands since that I purchased in Suffolke as also in Essex all being now gone and the price thereof spent not riotously or otherwise lewdly but by other meanes I confesse I haue spent the more for the gracing of my Ministrie and the prouoking of others to bounty and by so graceing my Ministrie to win the more vnto God What other things haue bin the meanes of my present pouertie as also of the base account that my selfe and ye are in by that meanes though I neede not be ashamed to relate yet for other reasons I spare to speake I might perhaps haue left you somewhat if I had bin more frugall for the things of this life Notwithstanding although some doe make great shew of great pouertie by their bare apparrell hard fare leane cheekes and borrowing heere and there without any necessitie in respect of any great charge of children and yet in the end doe make purchase vpon purchase yet for my part I hate all such basenes of mind as disgracefull not onely to the Ministry but also to Christianitie as being that filthy lucer that is 1 Tim 3. 3. Tit. 1. 7. Prou 1 19. 11. 24. 18. 27 1. Tim. 6. 10. in speciall manner forbidden all Ministers of the Gospell whereof notwithstanding there is no profit to any in the end and whereby also some that are in want indeed being thought to be such and to haue aboundance are much preiudiced and altogether neglected yea whereby likewise such secret rich men themselues liue in misery and want as well that that they haue as that that they haue not Be not therefore grieued ô my children that I cannot giue you any earthly portions Though I may say with Naomi I haue bin full and now euen in mine old age I Ruth 1. 21. am emptie yet mnrmure not that I haue bin no better husband for you and that ye haue so poore a father in earth but herein reioyce that ye haue a rich Father in heauen and Luk. 12. 21. that your selues are rich toward him who also giueth vs all richly all things to enioy and who hath so written your 1. Tim. 6. 17. Luk. 10. 20. Reu. 3 5. Iam 1 27. Iude. 23. names in heauen in his book of life as that they shal not be blotted out c. In this assurance keepe your selues vnspotted of the world and hate the very garment that is spotted of the flesh Though it should so fall out that ye should liue in the midst of a crooked and peruerse generation yet be ye Phil. 2 15. blamelesse and harmles children of God and shine ye as lights in the world that so ye may shine in heauen as the Starrs yea Dan. 12. 3. Mat. 13. 43. as the Sunne in the firmament Thinke no scorne to be persecuted for righteousnes neither to be reuiled c. For Christ Mat. 5. 11. 12. sake but reioyce yea count it all ioy for herein is your Iam. 1. 2. blessednes and your faith so tried and purged as gold in the fire Shall be found to your praise honor and glory at the appearing 1. Pet. 1. 6. 7. of Iesus Christ and in the meane time the Spirit of chap. 4. 13. 14. glory euen of God himselfe shall rest vpon you This spirit beareth witnes to your spirits that as ye are here pertaker of the suffering of Christ so the time shall come when ye shall be also glorified with him when himselfe shall appeare ye Rom. 8. 17. Col. â— 4. 2. Tim. 2. 7. shall also appeare with him in glory Consider what I say and the Lord giue you vnderstanding in all things Be not discouraged by any sufferings from that that is good but rather be ye incoraged so to suffer that ye may grow in grace and 2. Pet. 3. 18. in the knowledge of our Lord Iesus Christ what shall I say more vnto you my louing children Be faithfull vnto the Reu. 2. 10. death and Christ shall giue vnto you the Crowne of life Keepe the profession of your hope against all opposition there vnto without wauering He is faithfull that hath promised Heb. 10. 23. 24. Consider one another to prouoke vnto loue and vnto good workes Though in body ye be scattered one from another yet in spirit hold communion one with another Comfort one another helpe one another that ye may strengthen one another in the Lord. Edifie one another in your most holy Iude. 20. faith praying in the holy Ghost euery one for himselfe and one for another So keepe your selues and one another in the loue of God that ye may the better looke for the mercy of our Lord Iesus Christ to eternall life that so by this my last Will and Testament to you ye may the better enioy all the legacies of the last Will and Testament of our Lord Iesus Christ To conclude this my postscript Those good Philip. 4. 9. things which ye haue learned and receiued and heard and seene in me doe ye and the God of peace shall be with you whatsoeuer Rom. 7. 17. Ioh. 3. 11. euill ye haue seene me to do through the sinne that dwelleth in me that do not ye Follow not that which is euill 1. Thess 5. 23. in me or in any other but that which is good The very God of peace sanctifie you wholy and keepe your whole spirit soule and body harmeles vnto the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ whom in all humilitie and earnestnes of prayer I ordaine sole executor of this my last Will and Testament for the makeing good and performance of euerie thing therein bequeathed by me vnto you and to euery one of you and to all yours In witnes whereof I haue written this my said last Will and Testament with mine owne hand and thereunto haue set the seale of my heart the 22. day of August and in the yeare before mentioned By me your louing Father whiles I liue THOMAS STOVGHTON Errata Pag. 18. lin 19. after Christ reade this condemneth l. 26. for seruuâ—s â— serum p. 19. l. 16. for better r. the better p. 24. 3 ceassing r. crazing pag. 27. margen for imperunt r. fixerunt p 58. l. 32 for and r. or p. 67 l. 26. for defacing r defaming p. 70 l. 12 for to these r. of these p. 88. l. 35 for such as are r. such are p. 112. l. 2 for being themselues r. in themselues p 114 l 25. for him r. them p. 117 l. 17 after not r. only p 185 l for amatoris r amatoribus l 12 for studiam r studium p 121 l 32 for wit r will p 127 l 20 after to be r so dead p 129 l 8 for deuided r. deriued p. 206. l 10 for more â— before p. 221. l. 21. for can brag it r. can buy it p. 222. l 23 for and to r. and may p. 231. l. 25. after downe r. with zeale p. 236. l. 1. after are r. not p. 240. 11. after commanding reade him FINIS
it is well if men by much intreating will be perswaded to giue Zaccheus without any exhortations stood forth and said vnto the Luk. 19. 8. Lord Behold Lord the halfe of my goods I giue to the poore Where is there such a one in these dayes Alas most mens hearts yea Professors are so hardned against all such kindnesse that like to the deafe Adder that will not hearken Psal 58. 5. to the voice of the charmer charming neuer so wisely like I say to this deafe Adder they will not hearken to the exhortations made for liberalitie be they neuer so earnest But such exhortations go so to the heart of many that they go from them as heauie and sad as he did whom our Sauiour bade to sell all that he had and to giue it to the Math. 19. 22. Mark 10. 22. poore But certainly they to whom such exhortations are so harsh being men of wealth neuer haue in any thing else so sacrificed themselues as the Apostle here required For he that doth not sacrifice himselfe in all things doth in nothing Now if we must thus sacrifice our selues soules and bodies with all the powers and faculties of the one and with all the parts and members and strength of the other must we not also sacrifice our riches our honours aâ—d whatsoeuer authoritie we haue vnto God These are but adiuncts of our whole man If therefore we must sacrifice the subiect and more principall vnto God must we not much more sacrifice the adiuncts and those things that are of lesse value Doubtlesse doubtlesse whatsoeuer riches authoritie honour or grace we haue in this world we ought to employ the same as sacrifices to the glorie of God That which is said of riches Honour the Lord with thy Pâ—ou 3. 9. riches c. the same is to be vnderstood of honour and authoritie c. Wherefore hath the Lord honored vs with them but to honour him All the premises we are so much the more to sacrifice to God by how much the more we haue before giuen them to the world and to the Prince of the world Doth not the Apostle expresly require this saying As ye haue yeelded your members seruants Rom. 6. 19. to vncleannesse and to iniquite vnto iniquitie euen so now yeeld your members seruants to righteousnesse vnto holinesse In which place the word translated to yeeld is the very same in the originall text that is here translated to present In this respect therefore that place serueth the better to my present purpose Is not the Lord a better master and will he not more bountifully recompence whatsoeuer seruice is performed vnto him and whatsoeuer sacrifices are vnto him offered then the world and the Prince of the world The Prince indeed of the world offered all the kingdomes of the world to our Sauiour and so much Math. 4. 9. more will he offer to other but alas he hath nothing to giue for the earth is the Lords and all the fulnesse thereof Psal 24. 1. yea and this Lord hath appointed our Lord Christ Iesus to be the heire of all things Whatsoeuer therefore the Prince of Heb. 1. 2. the world craketh and boasteth yet in all his brags he is a lyer and not able to performe any thing he promiseth Let me yet adde one thing more touching the actiue sacrificing The more parents haue sacrificed themselues to euill the more their children should sacrifice themselues to God 1. Cor. 10. 20. of our selues namely that the more the parents of any man haue sacrificed themselues for so I may speak and vse this word sacrifice of that which is euill by the authoritie of the Apostle that saith the Gentiles did sacrifice to diuels and noâ— to God the more I say the parents of any man haue sacrificed themselues either to Poperie or to any the like abomination or to the world or to any other wickednesse the more such a child do labour to sacrifice himselfe vnto God The Papists indeed pleade the religion of their parents as a speciall and a principall argument why they will not turne from their religion But what saith the Lord Be ye not as your fathers And is it not said in the Psalmes that the Lord had established a testimonie Zech. 1. 4. Psal 78. 5. 6. ver 8. in Iacob and appointed a law in Israel c. that the generations to come might not be as their fathers a stubburne and a rebellious generation c. Is it not also said Harden not your hearts as in the prouocation and as in the day of tentation in Psal 95. 8. 9. the wildernesse when your fathers tempted me c What is the meaning of these words but that they should not in hardnes of heart be like to their fathers If therefore the fathers of any haue bin euill the children must not be like vnto them yea rather they must forget their fathers house Psal 45. 10. And alas what do many ignorant Papists and other pleading their fathers religion for themselues to be thereof but as if a man should say that his father had bin a robber or a murderer or a witch or a traitor and was hanged for his labour and therefore he will take the same course to haue the same end Oh therefore let all children of any such or any other euill parents make the more haste to be vnlike to their said parents and thus to sacrifice themselues because the Lord hath most sweetly promised that if any child hath seene his fathers sinnes and considereth Ezek. 18. 14. 17. and doth not the like he shall not die for the iniquitie of his father but shall surely liue O gracious promise Hath Num. 23. 19. Heb. 10. 23. he said it and shall he not performe it He that hath promised is faithfull Oh therefore that euery man would labour to make such children such sacrifices to God as here the Apostle speaketh of Let him know that he that conuerteth Iam. 5. 20. such a sinner from the error of his way shall saue a soule from death and shall hide a multitude of sinnes yea such a one Iude 23. is as a fire brand pluckt out of the fire Let all such also both the one and the other the child of such parents and he that shall be the instrument of God to make him a sacrifice to God do that that now I speake of the sooner because the longer continuance in the sinnes of such parents hardeneth the more and maketh the conuersion of such the harder worke Thus much of our actiue sacrificing of our selues CHAP. VII Of the passiue sacrificing of our selues NOw followeth the passiue This is two-fold First patiently The passiue sacrificing of our selues twofold to beare all common afflictions laid vpon vs by the Lord. Secondly to submit our selues to all persecution by the wicked for the testimonie of his truth and better confirmation of the faith of other The